"There's a complete variety of real clothes and sort of larger-than-life clothes," Viva Forever! designer Peter McKintosh says of his costumes for the new musical, which opens today in London's West End.

With a script by Jennifer Saunders—who plays Eddie Monsoon in Absolutely Fabulous—and a songbook devoted to Spice Girls hits like "Wannabe" and "2 Become 1," the London show is fit for any pop-loving theater-goer. And because a production influenced by the Spice Girls really has to step it up in terms of style, the award-winning McKintosh has been hard at work creating looks that include hand-jeweled pieces and light-up frocks. Here, ELLE.com talked with the designer about what's in store for audiences.

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ELLE: What was it like working with Jennifer Saunders on this project?

Peter McKintosh: It's interesting, because at the beginning of my process, which is mostly with the director, I didn't really have anything to do with Jennifer. It wasn't until we finished that I presented it to her. I wanted her to like it, but she hadn't been a part of the process. It was a slightly nerve-wracking experience. But she was delightful and has continued to be.

ELLE: Roughly how many costumes are involved in the entire production?

PM: I think it's somewhere between 200 and 300. It's so fluid at the moment—it could be 300 today and 250 tomorrow.

ELLE: Do you have a favorite?

PM: I have a few favorites, actually. The show's partly based around a reality TV program, and all of the things that the judges wear make me laugh. [The costumes are] lovely, and they're big.

ELLE: Which of the show's outfits was the most time intensive to make?

PM: The curtain call costumes were all hand-jeweled, so in terms of labor intensity, those were the biggest. And there are lots of funny things and silly costumes that light up. Those are more intricate, and they keep breaking at the moment, so they're probably quite labor intensive, because we keep having to send them back to the maker to be fixed.

ELLE: Obviously the Spice Girls have a huge impact on the show. Do you have a favorite from the group?

PM: I don't think I can say that! I was lucky enough to meet four of them at the launch, and I just think they're all so individual and so confident. I love all of them. They all have a certain style. As a group I love the fact that they embrace the boldness.

ELLE: What about a favorite Spice Girls song?

PM: Oh, it's hard. It's interesting, because in the show, the songs are set differently to how the Spice Girls sang them. They're the same songs, but they're put into the context of a show. I think probably that right this very minute "Forever" is my favorite.